


Bravery

by SerotoninShift



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, Halloween, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:08:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27312397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerotoninShift/pseuds/SerotoninShift
Summary: Lio’s not really into Halloween, but he’s going to give it his best shot for the kids (and for Galo).
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 8
Kudos: 89





	Bravery

**Author's Note:**

  * For [buttercreamfrosting](https://archiveofourown.org/users/buttercreamfrosting/gifts).



> Written for the Halloween exchange over at Promare Creative Co-op!

Halloween isn’t really Lio’s thing. He freely admits he’s phoning it in; a headband with cat ears and a belted-on tail is a pretty sorry excuse for a costume. But Galo had been so excited at the prospect of dressing up to help out at the party that Lio couldn’t say no to him. And he’s trying to get into the spirit of it for the kids. They’re not going trick-or-treating; after less than a year of integration, the thought of any Burnish children wandering around majority-normie neighborhoods is still pretty far out of Lio’s comfort zone. But there are other, safer ways to celebrate Halloween. 

The Burnish district elementary school is festooned with decorations, each room a different theme. Kids in costumes are roaming the halls, popping in and out of rooms, getting candy from teachers and parents. Lio wanders through the crowd, listening to the happy shrieks and laughter, a warm feeling growing in his chest. He follows the sound of music into the gym, where more substantial offerings of pizza and snacks are laid out. True to form, Galo is overseeing the pizza table, handing out plates and making sure everyone gets a slice. He’s wearing… Jesus, okay, it’s some sort of skin-tight blue bodysuit with high-tech white armor around the chest and shoulders. It looks… very nice. Galo looks up from opening another pizza box as Lio gets closer, sees him, and brightens, smiling like the sun. Lio’s heart flutters in a familiar way; a way that so far he’s been hesitant to do anything about. Too many unknowns; would Galo reciprocate? Would Lio even be a good boyfriend? He’s never had the chance to try before. Would he mess it up? The thought is surprisingly terrifying, considering that Lio has taken on armies of heavily-weaponized goons and stared death in the face multiple times.

“Lio!” Galo says. “You’re here! Check it out, I’m from Evangelion!” He gestures at his outfit. Lio has no idea what an “Evangelion” is, but he nods supportively. “Lucia helped me make the armor, she’s around here somewhere. She’s a penguin.” Galo looks Lio up and down and grins. “Nice ears,” he says.

“Thanks,” Lio says with a rueful chuckle. They smile dopily at each other for a little too long.

“Mr. Lio!”

Lio turns to see one of the kids pushing toward them through the throng. It’s Ravi, one of the nine-year-olds, but Lio almost didn’t recognize him; his hair is spiked up and coated in blue spray-on dye. He’s got on a black t-shirt and puffy orange pants, and his right arm has a white sleeve on it, maybe from another shirt.

The look is awfully familiar.

“Galo, look,” Lio says. Then Lio sees that Ravi is pulling someone behind him, tugging them along by the hand.

Ravi has a shadow; his best friend, a small girl named Jules. Jules is much shyer than Ravi, and she’s following him somewhat reluctantly, looking down.

Her bobbed hair is sprayed light green. She looks uncharacteristically tough in a high-necked white shirt, black jacket, and black pants, adorned with mismatched belts.

Lio gets a sudden lump in his throat.

“Hey, you guys!” Ravi yells, waving. Jules ducks her head even more, but she lets Ravi pull her through the crowd, practically running. He skids to a halt in front of Galo and Lio, all smiles.

“Mr. Lio! Mr. Galo! We wanted to show you our costumes!” Ravi says excitedly. “We’re _you!_ I’m Galo and Jules is Lio! Together we are… Galo de Lion!” He lets go of Jules’ hand and raises both his hands in fists, making a sound that Lio can only imagine is his impression of a giant robot flying through the air.

“Whaaaaaaat!” Galo crows, delighted. “Little man, you look _dope!_ I can’t believe you dressed up as me, that is _so cool!_ Show me your best firefighting pose.”

Ravi flexes his skinny arm.

“Yeeeeaaaahhh!” Galo cheers, and flexes back. They start striking increasingly elaborate poses at each other. They’re going to be distracted for a while.

Lio kneels down until he’s eye-level with Jules, who’s staring bashfully at the floor.

“You dressed up as me for Halloween?” he says softly.

Jules finally dares to raise her eyes. She looks nervous, but also a little bit fierce.

“You’re my hero,” she whispers determinedly.

Lio feels sudden tears sting the corners of his eyes.

“I wasn’t sure I would like Halloween, since it’s supposed to be for scary things,” Jules continues. “But when Ravi said we didn’t have to dress up as anything scary I decided it would be okay. I’m glad not everyone is being scary. I’m _tired_ of being scared.” Her tiny voice is full of frustration.

“What are you scared of?” Lio asks softly.

“I’m scared of… ghosts and dead people, and Freeze Force coming back, and dogs, and… and a lot of things. But you’re never scared. That’s why you’re my hero. I wish I was brave like you.”

“I’ll tell you a secret,” Lio says, and leans down a little closer.

“I get scared, too,” he whispers to her. “I was scared when Freeze Force took me to prison. I was scared when they attacked the settlement. I was scared when Foresight captured me. And I get scared now because I don’t have the Promare to protect me anymore. I get scared all the time.”

“Really?” She looks at him with wide eyes.

“Of course,” Lio says. “Being brave doesn’t mean you aren't scared. It means you do what you think is right, even if you _are_ scared. That’s what bravery is.”

“Ooooooh,” Jules says.

“So, you _are_ brave. You came to this Halloween party, right? Even though you weren’t sure you were going to like it. And I bet if someone was being mean to Ravi, you’d stand up for him, even if you were scared, right?” 

Jules nods firmly. “Yeah, he’s my best friend,” she says, determined.

Lio smiles at her. “See? You don’t need to be like me to be brave,” he says. “You just need to be like yourself.”

Jules stares at him for a long moment, eyes wide and round.

“Okay,” she says softly. “I’ll try.” Then she smiles a little. “You’re still my hero,” she says shyly.

“Jules!”

Ravi has finished posing at Galo and is grabbing his friend’s hand.

“Her costume is pretty great, right?” he says happily to Lio.

“I like it a lot,” Lio says. Jules’ smile widens.

“Jules, you wanna go get candy?” Ravi asks her.

“Yeah! If I get any with nuts you can have them, though.”

“If I get any fruit gummies you can have _them_ , I hate those,” Ravi says decisively. “Bye, Mr. Lio! Bye, Mr. Galo!”

“Bye!” Jules says, waving as she lets Ravi pull her back into the crowd of kids.

Lio stands up, watching them disappear. His eyes are suspiciously wet. He’s startled when Galo whacks him on the shoulder.

“They dressed up as _us!”_ he says. “That’s so flippin’ cute. What was Jules talking to you about?”

Lio takes a deep breath.

“She gave me an important reminder about being brave,” he says. “About taking a risk, even if I’m scared.”

“You’re the bravest person I know,” Galo says, smiling at him.

“Not until I ask you something I’ve been meaning to ask you for awhile,” Lio says.

“Oh?” Galo says curiously, and Lio’s heart skips a beat, seeing something in his eyes that looks like hope.

“Galo, would you like to go out with me some time?” Lio says.

Galo lights up. His smile grows wider. 

“Yeah, Lio, _duh,_ ” Galo says. Lio feels a flood of relief, and something else; a growing, irrepressible joy. He finds himself smiling stupidly back at Galo. “I didn’t want to rush you,” Galo says bashfully, “but I’ve been hoping you’d ask.” Then his expression grows impish. “One condition, though,” he says.

“What’s that?” Lio asks, still grinning stupidly. Galo reaches out and flicks Lio’s headband.

“You gotta wear the ears,” Galo says. 

Lio starts giggling. Galo starts laughing too, delighted, and Lio keeps giggling as Galo sweeps him up in his arms and spins him around, still laughing, and for a moment, all of Lio’s fears and hesitations leave him. 

Even more so than when he transformed himself into a flaming dragon, he feels brave enough to take on the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on twitter [@SerotoninShift](https://twitter.com/serotoninshift)


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